Multi-weight boxing world champion Claressa Shields says she is “done” with MMA, ending talk of her one day fighting in the UFC.
The 30-year-old American has fought three times with the PFL since making her MMA debut in 2021.
She is unbeaten in boxing but has a 2-1 record in MMA, winning her last bout against Kelsey de Santis.
But she now says she will return to boxing and put all of her focus into the sport that saw her rise to the top of female competition.
Claressa Shields Is “Done” With MMA
Speaking as news broke of her return to boxing, Shields said the training had been taking up too much of her time.
She told Ariel Helwani: “It was fun, but I don’t have enough time to train for it. It takes six to eight months just to get ready to defend takedowns. Even though I got a lot better and put in the time, I broke my arm twice. It was fun, and I enjoyed every fight I did.
“I’m already great in boxing, and to be great like that in MMA, I would have to train consistently for at least three to four years.
“I did really well in MMA. It was fun, but it was too hard.”
Michigan native Shields had a more than two-year gap between her last two MMA fights.
She has recently added the undisputed heavyweight title to her long list of boxing accolades, and has now been world champion in five different weight divisions.
Undefeated in 16 boxing fights, the Olympic gold medalist had harboured dreams of achieving similar success in MMA, and maybe even reaching the UFC.
But she has admitted her family would prefer her to stick to boxing.
“My family never wanted me to do it,” she added.
“I did it because I wanted to prove a point, and I proved that point to myself three times, though you could say twice because I won twice.”
Claressa Shields Net Worth
The main source of Shields’ income is from her boxing, though reports of exactly how much she’s made vary wildly.
According to ESPN, she took home $50,000 for a fighting Franchón Crews-Dezurn in 2016 in her professional debut.
And in 2020, she is said to have earned $300,000 from her fight with Ivana Habazin.
The biggest purse She is reported top have earned was in 2025, when she won a reported $1.5 million.
These earnings, along with her various sponsorships and endorsements, mean Claressa Shields has a net worth that is likely to be anywhere between $1 million and $5 million.
